MØL’s 2021 album Diorama was a masterclass in melody and emotion, taking Alcest’s formula for blackgaze and finding a way to marry both the frosty extremes of black metal with gorgeous, vulnerable melodies. In other words, it was always going to be a tall order to follow it up. Perhaps that’s why it took some four and a bit years for a sequel to emerge; or perhaps the Danes don’t actually give a fuck about expectations and just wanted to write the best possible album they could with the tools and experience they had.
Regardless, Dreamcrush is a remarkable next step for them, opening on lush chords with ‘Dream’ before vocalist Kim Song Sternkopf lets rip an excoriating, extended scream for the rest of the band to follow. It’s oddly uplifting in tone, echoing the major chord experimentation of Sunbather along with the rasping shrieks. ‘Dream’ itself acts as something of an extended introduction to both the album and second song ‘små forlis’, again opening with shrieks and furious riffs.
Something that’s quickly apparent though, is the band are leaning much, much more on Sternkopf’s sonorous baritone register along with a hefty dose of alt rock. Previously, it’s been deployed much more sparingly but on Dreamcrush it’s just as much a feature as his screams. An early highlight is lead single ‘Garland’, that pushes MØL’s sound skyward to arena proportions without sacrificing intensity. It’s arguably one of their finest tracks to date, a stunning show of Sternkopf’s croon, before its chorus takes flight.
Elsewhere, the band fold in lashings of post rock with ‘Favour’, whose instrumental first half is accented by strings. The new sonic textures work wonders, balanced against the existing MØL sound even as that expands and morphs to accommodate them and the band’s new scope. Most of all, it feels like just as much a sonic journey as ever, exemplified in ‘Favour’s rapturous conclusion after such a serene start. ‘A Former Blueprint’ is a fascinating study of how to make black metal anthemic through a different lens, pop structures taking precedence over twists and turns.
The back half of the album continues subverting expectations; at turns more morose, at others, screaming into the void like it’s the only outlet left. Guitar solos flit in and out, the shoegaze elements become more entwined with alt rock, while overall the band explore elements of post metal too. It’s a scintillating blend, one balanced by an expert tracklisting that ensures they never stick to one tempo or mood too long, like the switch between ‘Dissonance’ and ‘Mimic’, the latter of which re-embraces black metal far more.
Bookending the album are its title tracks, and the finale ‘Crush’ is a near-perfect close after the preceding 37 or so minutes. Crescendoing to a post metal close, underscored by triumphant guitars and extra strings to swell the sound, ‘Crush’ rounds off a remarkable album in arresting fashion. With four-and-change years between albums, MØL have crafted a followup that in ambition and songwriting nous, not only surpasses their previous two albums but really ought to see them revered as greats.